Ukraine's players have been promised quality time with their wives if they reach the World Cup semi-finals. "Those who don't feel like it, I'll just drag to their wives. Take my word for it," coach Oleg Blokhin told Russian daily Sport-Express.

The Sun says that England's opening match against Paraguay on Saturday will be officiated by a referee nicknamed Little Dracula. Marco Rodriguez, 35, was given the moniker because of his likeness to a television character and after the World Cup he is set to star in his own cartoon in his native Mexico. Referees have been told to impose an absolute ban on jewellery worn by players at the World Cup.

English referee Graham Poll, told The Express, if players try to sneak on wearing rings, earrings or chains then they will be shown a yellow card - and may even be forced to have any rings cut off their fingers.

The makers of Subbuteo have told the media they are attempting to rush out a dancing Peter Crouch figure to cash in on "the Crouch bop".

Tesco said sales of Caribbean food and drink had soared north of the border as Scots prepared to cheer on Trinidad & Tobago. Buyer Simon Dunn said: "We've seen huge increases in the sale of rum in Scotland by nearly 15% and the sale of mangoes has increased by a staggering 47% in the past two weeks alone."

Holland's gay community have elected Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo as the World Cup's "most beautiful, attractive and sexiest" footballer. (Mirror)

Spanish daily 20 Minutos claims Nostradamus tipped Spain to win the World Cup. It quotes one of his prophecies as follows: "In the sixth month of 2006 the King of Spain will cross the Pyrenees with his troops. The legions of Beelzebub will battle him in central Europe and suffer doom and destruction. The Holy Grail will then come to Spain." (Press Association)

"I was aware that my foot had landed between his legs, which, of course, is about the nastiest place to get hurt, but it was an accident."Wayne Rooney speaks out after the incident with Ricardo Carvalho. (Liam Southwell, England).